


A mermaid and a prince

by jennshiki



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Ariel au, M/M, Mute Ariel, Slow Burn, klance, klangst, no happy ending be warned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-24
Updated: 2016-09-25
Packaged: 2018-08-17 01:34:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8125396
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jennshiki/pseuds/jennshiki
Summary: Lance is a merman and he rescues a boy from drowning. The boy's name is Keith, and it turns out that he's a prince. (ariel au , no happy ending, CHAPTER 3 HAS ALL THE ANGST)





	1. Chapter 1

Lance knew he was making a mistake. All his life, he was constantly warned not to go near the land people. They were dangerous and selfish. Even so, he couldn’t help but feel drawn towards the pale, black haired boy drowning at the bottom of the sea. 

Lance had watched from afar as it all went down. It was a hot summer evening, although the ocean was usually a similar temperature every day. Lance was trying to pass the time by searching for shells, and he swam along the ocean floor, his stomach and the bottom side of his tail lightly skimming the sand. He brushed away small pebbles and rocks with his tan fingers, his eyes flitting around.

Life was pretty boring. He swam, he ate, he slept, and he spent maybe a few minutes at the most talking with his friends. Then they’d go off with something else to do. He was the only one with no hobbies, no nothing. 

He took in a deep breath, the cold salty water filling his lungs, then being filtered out by the gills in his neck. He breathed out small bubbles that immediately began to ascend, the small amounts of carbon dioxide floating upwards towards the surface. Light was streaming through the ceiling of the ocean, and he felt warmer just by looking at it. 

Lance followed the journey of the bubbles with his eyes, and flipped over so that his back was now facing the floor. He reached a hand up towards the surface, reaching for the sky that he couldn’t see. He wanted to go the surface too. 

He’d only surfaced a few times in his life, to watch the dolphins jump and play, basking in the sunlight. He also wanted to be a part of that. He wasn’t used to the dry air though, and breathing out of water made his throat feel itchy, but it was worth it, to see the sky and the land. The land and the ocean were completely different, and as great as the ocean was, the land just seemed so much more interesting. Unexplored, and unknown to him. 

But everyone knew that it was incredibly risky to surface, especially when the sun was still out. It was common sense. The land people were selfish greedy beings who took advantage of anything they could lay their hands on. Mermaids, his kind, were not an exception. 

Lance was brave, but not brave nor stupid enough to surface often. Though he couldn’t suppress his curiosity when the water suddenly shook with vibrations, the current surging past him. He was pushed back by the rapid rush of water, but he tried his best to resist and keep himself in place by frantically flailing his arms, which were strengthened from 17 years of swimming.  
Lance managed to stay in one spot as he waited for the shaking to stop. When it finally did stop, Lance found himself in a dilemma. Should he go above water to see what had happened? If it was something dangerous he’d have to warn his village. But if it was dangerous, he might get hurt. Should he just make a swim for it?

Lance decided that the smarter option was to just abandon the site and get back to safety. Good thing he wasn’t very smart, and with a swish of his long tail, he sent himself spiraling upwards. He waved away the small fish swimming in his way as he pulled and pushed his way up through the water, and to the surface. 

The last time he did this was probably a whole year ago, and he forgot to prepare for the transition from breathing in the oxygen in water to breathing in the oxygen in the dry air. When he shot out of the water, he ended up choking on the air the moment he breathed in. He plunged back down, immersing half of his face so that he could breathe properly.  
Lance decided that it would probably be easier to swim like this with just his eyes peeking out of the water. Remembering what he came to do, he scanned the horizon and quickly spotted the cause for the disruption. 

There was a ship a few yards away that seemed to have caught fire. Huge flames danced on it, spreading quickly across the wood. Lance could feel the intense heat from where he was, even though most of him was underwater. Something must have exploded and then the ship caught fire. 

Lance backed up as he spotted people abandoning the ship, jumping into the ocean. There were many and they all looked much the same to Lance, except for one boy who caught his eye. He wore clothes different from the rest, and he just had this different air to him. From his distance, Lance could only see that the boy seemed about his age and had black hair. 

The people hit the water with a loud splash, and they flailed their arms and legs trying desperately to stay afloat. He remembered that land people had no gills and they were unable to make use of the oxygen within the water. 

Lance ducked completely under the water to avoid being seen and cautiously swam closer. The fire had burned holes into the ship, and now water was spilling inwards, causing the ship to sink. Lance watched in pity as the men and that boy tried to swim, but you shouldn’t underestimate the strength of an ocean wave. The people were swept under almost instantly, including the boy. Clearly they were inexperienced when it came to swimming, and many were quickly pulled downwards by the ocean. Lance dived down, moving towards the floor where he hid in the shadows of coral and rocks. 

He felt guilty for just watching, but he couldn’t help while the men were still conscious. They would see him and his tail, and that was the one thing that he could not let happen. 

But then he saw the boy with the black hair sinking downwards as well, struggling to keep his eyes open as he ran out of air. He was still trying to save himself, though he probably did know that there was no use. But what he didn’t know was that Lance was there. And what Lance didn’t know was why he sped out of the shadows and into the light, the blue scales on his tail shimmering as he swam, revealed for all to see. 

Lance shot forward and reached out to grab the boy’s arm. Apparently he was going to rescue him. 

The boy’s eyes were confused and uncomprehending as he stared lazily at Lance. Lance pulled the boy along easily, and he swam faster than he’d ever swum before, towards the surface. He burst out of the water so forcibly that he found himself suspended in midair for a second before gravity pulled him back down. If he weren’t too occupied with the dying land person he’d chosen to help for reasons unknown, he would’ve noted that the way he jumped out of the water just now was similar to the dolphins he liked to watch. 

The boy was barely conscious now, and Lance wasn’t sure if he was breathing. Both of their heads were out of the water, and Lance’s lungs, unaccustomed to the dryness, were struggling to get enough oxygen. Although the boy Lance was holding seemed to be getting no oxygen.  
Unsure of what to do, Lance punched the boy hard in the chest. It seemed that was the right thing to do, and the boy started coughing out water, his eyes snapping open.

Once his coughing fit appeared to be over, he stared at Lance, suspicious and on guard. He wasn't idiot enough to shake Lance's hands away though as he couldn't swim well. 

"Who are you? You're not from the ship," asked Keith.

Lance could feel Keith's whole body tensing up. Lance blinked. He learned English, but mermaids talked telepathically since it was hard to speak underwater and sign language was too inefficient. Lance heard that most land people's minds were too walled off to hear telepathy. Too many secrets to hide. 

Lance had barely ever used his mouth to physically speak aloud before.

"I saved you,” he explained, his voice a slow whisper as he tested it out.

It was weird hearing his own voice for the first time in a long time. He did have a singing class in an underwater cave where there was a small space with dry air, but that was a while ago.

Talking spent more oxygen and he submerged half his face in water again before he started wheezing. 

"Oh, well thank you," said Keith, surprised.

Lance pulled his face back above water to give a smile. "No problem. I'll take you to the beach."  
Lance pulled the boy along, who followed obediently, still seeming a bit disorientated and not completely awake. When they neared land, Lance tried his best not to show his curiosity or hesitancy. The boy miraculously had not seen Lance's tail yet, and Lance didn't plan on showing him. He'd meddled enough.

When Lance thought it was shallow enough for the boy to stand, he let go of his arm. The boy stumbled and made his way forward clumsily, crawling out of the water. Once he was completely out of the water, he turned around and fell down onto the sand, letting out a sigh of relief. 

Sand started clinging to his wet black hair, which was clinging to his pale face, and he looked completely exhausted. Lance noticed again that the boy wore clothes different from the rest of the men.

“Who are you?” asked Lance.

Keith sat up slowly and gawked at Lance. “You don’t know who I am?”

Is he someone important? wondered Lance as he shook his head.

“I’m Prince Keith. Well technically king but no one will call me that since I don’t have a queen yet. I live in the castle?” 

Keith pointed backwards, and Lance spotted a giant castle in the distance, not too far from the beach. He lives in there??? Dang. And he’s a prince he said?

“Wow! Uh, well I’m not from around here so I didn’t know,” said Lance.

Keith furrowed his eyebrows and his blue grey eyes looked Lance up and down. 

“Why were you just swimming around in the ocean? Where are you from? What’s your name?” 

“I like to swim, and I live somewhere around here,” started Lance, somewhat defensively. He tried to be as vague as possible, as he didn’t know very much about how land people lived or where they lived. He realized what he just said about living here contradicted what he had said before, but he hoped Keith wouldn’t notice. “And the name’s Lance.”

Keith seemed incredibly doubtful as he considered Lance’s answer, but he just shrugged.

“Well thanks again for rescuing me. I should probably give you a reward of some sort.”

Lance shook his head. Whatever the reward was, Lance probably had no use for it under the ocean. 

“Are you sure? If you don’t want anything physical, then how about a favor from me? Is there anything I can do for you?” offered Keith. “You did save my life after all.”

Lance pondered this. “I don’t really have anything in mind.”

“Then just keep thinking about it and when you decide, let me know.”

“Sure,” said Lance nonchalantly. Whatever, it’s not like he’d see this prince character again. 

“I should probably start heading back to the castle. Wait, are you going to stay here?” asked Keith, as Lance began floating back out into the ocean. 

“Uh, yeah, I like to swim?” said Lance, unable to think of a better excuse.

Keith stared at him for a few seconds and then seemed to give up on trying to figure Lance out. He forced himself up, wobbling on his legs for a moment but then regaining his balance. Lance watched as Keith walked off. Walking on two legs. Lance stared down into the water at his tail. Land people had the best of two worlds, being able to walk and swim. It’d be impossible for him to move around on land in his tail. Legs might be fun to have, thought Lance. He laughed at himself for having such a stupid and useless thought. Then he ducked under the waves and swam away.  
-  
When Lance woke up from his sleep, the first image that came to his mind was of Keith, the prince, the boy he had saved. Lance groaned and tried to erase the boy from his memory, who had caused a growing curiosity and yearning for land to stir in Lance’s heart. And a little of something else, but Lance couldn’t put a word to the feeling.  
He yawned and stretched, bubbles twirling around in front of his face. He swatted at them and glided upwards, out of the seaweed forest that he had slept in to hide from any predators. 

Glancing around, he instantly recognized his friend Pidge studying some kind of fish that was swimming around her in circles. Her hazel colored hair drifted around in constant motion, pulled along by the ocean. Her glasses that she had found and taken a liking too were threatening to float away. Seaweed was wrapped around her upper half like what land people called shirts, and the deep green matched the color of her tail. Lance slid closer, and when he was in close enough range to send her telepathic thoughts, he shouted a big ::Good morning!::

Pidge glanced over, startled, and then calmed when she spotted Lance. ::Hey Lance. I barely saw you at all yesterday, what were you doing?::

::Ah I was about to tell you! I surfaced:: exclaimed Lance, his words filled with excitement. He ignored Pidge’s shocked expression and continued. ::There was a boy who was drowning because there was an explosion on his ship or something I dunno, and so I saved him and brought him back to land. And get this, he was a prince! I, Lance, saved a prince’s life!.::

::W-what!? Lance! Why would you do that? Did the guy see your tail?:: asked Pidge, her telepathic voice practically screaming in Lance’s head. 

::I’m not stupid Pidge, I didn’t show him my tail:: replied Lance, rolling his eyes. ::Anywho, he lives in this huge castle, and he said that he’s technically the king! He, a guy about the same age as me, rules a whole kingdom! That’s totally not fair:: continued Lance, rambling on. ::I would make a much better ruler than him, that’s for sure. And you should see his hair, it’s really weird and goes down to about his shoulders. I mean I guess it suits him alright, but it’s still weird. Why would anyone choose a hairstyle like that? And his skin is really pale, like does he not go out into the sun? His eyes are also a weird mix of colors, like the ocean and a stormy sky, and they are big! He’s practically like one of those, what are they called, dolls? It’s so weird, a guy shouldn’t--::

::Lance, stop talking:: interrupted Pidge. ::Ok, here’s what I got from this conversation. You are a big risk-taking careless idiot, and you have a crush on a land person, and a prince of all people! Which just further proves that you are an idiot::

::I am not an idiot, and…wait what!?:: said Lance, realization of what Pidge just said dawning on him. ::Where the heck did you get that from? Geez!:: 

Pidge rolled her eyes and started swimming away.  
::What, Pidge where are you going? Come back:: shouted Lance, but Pidge didn’t hear him. She was out of range.  
-  
After being left alone, Lance had nothing to do but swim around aimlessly, like usual. 

He twirled around, moving easily and gracefully through the water, occasionally using his arms to aid his tail in propelling himself forward.  
He thought about mostly nothing, keeping his mind blank, though sometimes his thoughts would wander off and he’d think of Keith. When that happened, Lance would stop and wonder why he kept thinking of Keith. He decided that it was only natural to be curious about meeting a land person for the first time, and Pidge’s false assumptions had no basis.

Eventually, Lance found himself closer and closer to the surface, as if his subconscious was guiding him there.  
He was spaced out and only when the tips of his tail started to skim the surface did he realize just how far up he’d gone. He let out a sigh, bubbles floating upwards, and he followed them, surfacing.

He was more used to breathing out of water now and it only took a few panicked breaths before he got used to the difference. He was uncomfortably close to the beach, and was about to swim away when he spotted Keith, sitting on the beach staring out at the ocean.  
Lance looked up at the sky and at the sun, which was only a few inches above the horizon. Why was he out at this time of day? Didn’t he have important things to do as a prince?

Before Lance could retreat, Keith spotted him and waved. Lance didn’t have it in him to ignore Keith, so reluctantly he swam closed towards the shore. At least, he’d like to think that he did it reluctantly.

“Hey! What are you doing here again today?” asked Lance as he came closer, his head bobbing up and down in the water.

“I could ask you the same thing,” replied Keith.

“I told you already, I like to swim.”

“Right. Well I like to come out here to think sometimes,” explained Keith.

“Mhmm, so what’s it like being a prince and all. I’d think you wouldn’t want to associate with anyone lower than you,” asked Lance, half jokingly.

“What? I’m not that kind of a person,” said Keith, a bit offended. “I live in a castle, and I have plenty of everything. That’s really it. No one really takes me seriously. I’m only the king because my parents died last year when their ship sunk.” 

“Ah. Er, sorry about that,” said Lance awkwardly..

Keith shrugged. “You sure swim a lot. Don’t you have anything better to do?”

Lance laughed. “Not really.” 

“Are you ever going to come out of the water?”

“Probably not.”

“Hmm, ok. Have you thought of what you wanted me to do for you yet?”

“Nope.”

“Hm, why don’t we get to know each other a bit more. We’re still practically strangers,” suggested Keith. 

“Sure. My name is Lance, I’m 17, I like to swim, and my favorite color is red.”

“Uh, okay, my name is Keith, I’m also 17, I don’t have anything I really like, and my favorite color is blue.” 

There was a minute of awkward silence afterwards while they stared at each, unsure of what else to do. 

“So..will you be here tomorrow?” asked Keith suddenly.

Lance widened his eyes. Did Keith want to meet with him again? 

“Probably? Why?” asked Lance.

“Just wondering. It’s nice to have someone to talk to. Not many people like that around the castle.”

Lance smirked. “So you’re a lonely boy looking for some company?”

“Basically yep.”

“Ha. Sure, I’ll be here tomorrow.”


	2. for keith

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ARIEL AU ---
> 
> Lance, a mermaid, had made a new friend! with a land person named Keith, who happens to be a prince! 
> 
> But Keith keeps asking him if Lance will ever get out of the water. And so Lance seeks out a sea witch named Allura in hope that she can give him legs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wooohh chapter 2 !! there will be a chapter 3 btw,, and I'll probably be making another fic of this from Keith's point of view afterwards!!
> 
> I'm sorry if all the details bore you but at least skim it pls bc I like the ending better than the beginning
> 
> also the angst is about to start be prepared --- i'm writing the ending right now and i'm literally crying as i write it i feel so bad

When the sun rose the next morning, Lance couldn’t contain his excitement. He’d made a new friend, and it was a land person of all things! And a prince! Wow. His life had gone from boring to fairytale in a span of a few hours. 

Finally Lance had a way to spend his spare time, which consisted of most of his day. He didn’t know when Keith would be at the beach though, so he just swam laps around the shore while he waited. 

When Keith finally did come, it was noon, and Lance had probably swum over 500 laps. He was leaning against a rock and chewing on some seaweed when he spotted Keith, walking downhill towards the beach. 

“Hey Keith!” shouted Lance. 

Keith waved and broke into a sprint, running over. “Were you waiting for me?” 

“Nah, I just got here,” he lied, swimming closer towards the shore. 

“Right. So about that favor, have you thought of anything yet?”

Lance shook his head.

“Are you ever going to come out of the water then?”

Lance shook his head again. Keith stared at him curiously.

“Why not? You act as if you’re stuck in the ocean and can’t come out.”

Lance laughed as if that was the most ridiculous thing in the world, but really it wasn’t that far from the truth.

“Maybe I’ll be able to come out one day,” sighed Lance, voicing his thoughts. 

Keith gave Lance a weird look. “Okay then.”

-

They talked for a long time about random things, laughed, and argued about things they didn’t agree on, which was mostly everything. And when Keith had to leave, Lance was sad to see him go. 

Lance had friends under the sea of course, but his relationship with Keith didn’t feel the same as it did with his other friends. It was just different. Maybe land people were just naturally more interesting than mermaids? Or maybe it was because Lance had saved Keith’s life.

Keith had kept asking Lance whether he was going to come out of the water or not, and Lance really wanted to, but he knew he couldn’t. Or could he? That was the question that stuck in Lance’s mind as he swam back to where his village was.

There was practically no one there, but that was normal since ‘villages’ were just mermaids who slept together in one designated area. Mermaids weren’t incredibly social people and most were loners. 

Lance wove his way through coral as he searched for Pidge. Pidge was smart, she’d tell him if it was possible to go onto land.  
He found her a few minutes later, resting against coral with her tail wrapped around it to keep the water from pulling her away.

::Pidge! Hey I’ve got a question:: said Lance, swimming in front of her.

::Ask away:: she responded, not even bothering to look at him. 

::Okay, so um, is there any way for me to…..go onto land?:: 

Pidge’s head immediately snapped upwards, and her brown eyes bored into Lance.

::Have you finally gone crazy? What are you talking about?::

Lance frowned. ::Just answer my question, is there any way I could get onto land?::

Pidge didn’t reply for a few seconds, as if trying to decide whether Lance was being serious or not. 

::Are you asking if there’s any way for you to become a land person?:: she finally said.

That wasn’t exactly what Lance had in mind, but he realized that becoming a land person was the only way for him to go onto land without showing his tail. So he nodded. 

::Is this about that boy you met just yesterday? Are you kidding me Lance? What kind of a guy is he to make you want to become a land person:: cried Pidge in horror. 

Lance bit his lip. He really didn’t think this through all the way, but what he knew was that he really wanted to go onto land. There was nothing to do in the ocean, but on land, the possibilities seemed endless. And he wanted to be able to get out of the water and sit next to Keith on the beach as they talked. Lance could hear Pidge mentally sigh.

::Just know that I am completely against this, but I have heard rumors of a sea witch named Allura. She lives somewhere around here. If anyone can make you into one of them, it’s her.::

Lance widened his eyes. A sea witch? Sea witches were exiled mermaids that dabbled with magic, something incredibly risky since magic didn’t belong in this world. People ran from sea witches. They were more dangerous than land people.

::How can I find her?:: 

-

Lance swam, the water getting darker and darker the deeper he went. He repeated Pidge’s directions over and over in his head to make sure  
he wouldn’t forget. He wouldn’t want to get lost here. 

Apparently, Allura lived in a cave deeper down in the ocean. Lance’s village was at about 300 meters down in the ocean, but Allura’s cave was at 700 meters, almost at the point in the ocean where sunlight couldn’t reach. Lance wondered how anyone would want to live there alone in the darkness.

Lance had never in his life been down so deep. He hoped he wouldn’t run into any deep sea fish, because those always unnerved him with their overly sharp teeth.

Lance could feel the water pressure increasing, and he gradually found it harder to breathe and harder to swim. Is this really worth it, he thought weakly. Well he’d already come this far, so there was no point in giving up now. 

There were small spots of light all around, and despite his instincts wanting to go towards the light, he knew that if he valued his life, he’d stay away. After all, it could be a shark making that light, drawing in its dinner. Lance shuddered.  
Pidge said that Allura’s cave was surrounded by a swarm of jellyfish and that’d it be easy to spot. So far though, Lance was seeing nothing but darkness. Maybe the witch was in range and he could talk to her telepathically?

::Um hello? Is anyone there? I’m looking for Allura, I need help:: he called out.

After a few seconds, he heard a voice. The words were unclear, but they were there.

::Hello? Are you there?:: he asked again.

Lance swam forward warily. He was starting to feel dizzy, unused to the high water pressure.

::I’m here. Don’t come any closer until you tell me what you want:: came a female voice. She spoke with an unrecognizable accent.

::Uh, I’m Lance, and I heard that you might be able to turn me into a land person?::

There was silence. Lance waited, not knowing whether he was heard or not.

Then he spotted a figure coming towards him. He gulped, and prepared to come face to face with a sea witch for the first time. He was having a lot of firsts lately.

As Allura came closer, her features became clearer and Lance was surprised to see that she was in fact a beauty. If she wasn’t a sea witch, and if they weren’t in the dark where she could kill him and get away with it, he probably would’ve flirted with her. 

She had very visible long white hair, surprisingly tanned skin as she lived in a place with so little sunlight, and a black tail with a few pink scales here and there. She looked a lot less scary and threatening than Lance had imagined in his head. 

::Why do you want to be a land person?:: she asked. 

::I have a friend I’d like to be able to walk with:: he told her. 

Hearing his reason out loud, he realized how stupid it sounded and that he _really_ didn’t think this through.

Allura raised her eyebrows, also seeming to be judging his rash decision. 

::Well I’ll give it to you if that’s what you really want.:: she said, revealing a pill that she had been holding in her hand. ::If you swallow this pill on land under the moonlight, your tail will become legs. It will only work if you really want it to though.:: 

Lance nodded in understanding and reached his hand out to take the pill. Allura pulled it away from him. 

::As much as I’d like to, I can’t afford to give things away for free. I expect something in return.::

Lance blinked and frowned. ::What do you want? I don’t really have anything.::

Allura seemed to be in deep thought, and she began to swim around Lance in a circle, as if studying him from all angles. ::How about your voice? If you give me your voice, I’ll give you the pill.::

::My….voice? How would that work?:: asked a very confused Lance.

::Remember, I’m a witch. I have magic:: said Allura, somewhat bitterly. ::You’d lose the ability to talk aloud though, since you need a voice to do that.::

Not being able to talk? What would be the point of getting legs to walk with Keith if he couldn’t even talk to him? But maybe Keith might have a more open mind and he’d be able to talk to him telepathically.

::Ah, sure I guess. It’s the only thing I have afterall.:: decided Lance, hesitant but determined. He had come this far and he wasn’t returning empty handed. 

Allura smiled and pressed a finger to Lance’s mouth. He felt it happen, not slowly but instantly. In exactly a second, Lance’s throat felt a whole lot more hollow. He could feel that his voice was gone. 

::Thank you:: said Allura, and she pressed the pill into Lance’s hand. 

Lance gripped the pill as if it was his lifeline, and swam up, eager to return to shallower waters.

\- 

Lance felt incredibly tired as his village finally came into view. He was unaware of how much time had passed, but he spotted a lot of mermaids already asleep, resting in the shadows, tails curled up. 

He stared down at the pill. It was red, his favorite color. Maybe that was a good sign? 

Allura had told him to swallow it in the moonlight. Perhaps the moon was out now if so many mermaids were asleep. Lance held back a yawn, and swam up and through the surface, exposing his face to the cold night air. 

He looked up and was met with the dark night sky, illuminated by countless stars. The moon, though hidden behind a few clouds, was out and visible. That should be enough moonlight right? Thought Lance as he started swimming towards the shore. 

He swam into water so shallow that he could lie down on his back and his nose would still be sticking out of the water.  
Lance stared down at the pill. Should he take it? He knew nothing about living on land, but he had a friend who was a prince. Friends help each other out right? It would be okay. That’s what Lance told himself as he opened his mouth and popped in the pill.

The pill was flavorless, and he swallowed it quickly. The transformation started right away, causing Lance to yelp. It was an incredibly odd feeling, not quite like pain but could definitely not be described as comfortable. He could feel his scales receding and flattening out into skin, and could feel his tail quickly splitting into two. It was weird and Lance tried not to think of it too much. 

When it was over, Lance stared down at what used to be his tail. Two legs, attached to two feet. He wiggled his toes. His tail had conveniently turned into a pair of blue shorts that ended a little above his knee. 

He stood up and immediately cried out in pain, falling back over onto the sand. He pushed himself back up, but fell over again when he tried to take a step. This was a lot harder than he expected.

He was still wet from the water, and a sudden gust of wind made him shiver with cold. Regret and fear was starting to grow inside, but there was nothing he could do about it now. 

Lance dragged himself across the beach, towards a large rock. He reached for the rock, using it to support his weight as he stood up slowly. He was going to learn how to walk.

With one hand on the rock, Lance took a step and gasped as a burning pain shot up his leg. Was walking supposed to hurt this much? Or maybe it was a side effect of turning a tail into legs. 

He took more steps but the pain didn’t ease. In fact he would say the pain got stronger the more he walked. It took all his self-control not to cry out. It felt like a shark was gnawing on his legs. 

After just a lap of walking around the large rock, Lance was breathless. The pain in his legs wasn’t just a dull ache, it was a sharp, swift sting. Was it going to be like this forever?

He was about to curl down into a ball and contemplate his life choices, when a voice came from behind him.

“Lance?”

He turned around and found Keith walking towards him.

Lance opened his mouth to speak but was reminded that he had given up his voice, so he waved. It was almost impossible, but he managed  
to smile through the pain. Lance didn’t want or need to be worried about.

Keith stared at him and said, “This is the first time I’ve seen you out of water.”

Lance shrugged awkwardly, and was starting to realize just how annoying it was to not have a voice. 

“Do you not have any other clothes other than those shorts?” 

Lance shook his head. Keith frowned and started unbuttoning his jacket. Lance widened his eyes and stared at Keith, confused. What was he doing? Lance continued to be confused as Keith slipped off his jacket revealing a grey sleeveless shirt. Keith then proceeded to hand the jacket to Lance. Lance blinked.

“It’s almost nighttime, you’ve got to be cold.”

Lance took the jacket and smiled, trying to show his appreciation as he slipped it on. Keith tilted his head a bit and stared at Lance.

“Why aren’t you talking?”

Lance performed a series of hand gestures, trying his absolute best to explain. Keith returned a blank stare, so Lance just pointed at his throat and made an x sign with his arms. 

“You…lost your voice?”

Lance nodded.

“Ah, ok then. Dang. Well you can just communicate by writing then.”

Lance shook his head. He didn’t know how to write.

“You can’t write? Uh okay, well I guess I’ll just do all the talking until you get your voice back.”

Lance nodded and smiled helplessly. That wouldn’t be happening anytime soon. 

“I was going to a room to get something when I saw you on the beach through my window. What are you doing here so late? And don’t tell  
me you were swimming because that’s just ridiculous,” said Keith, shaking his head. “Where’s your home? I’ll walk you back.”

Lance, not sure what to tell him, stood unmoving for a few seconds as he desperately racked his head for a believable response. Unfortunately, Keith noticed the blank answerless look in Lance’s eyes. 

“Geez, next you’ll be telling me you don’t know where your house is! You know what, why don’t you just stay at the castle tonight,” sighed Keith, exasperated.

Before Lance could respond, Keith grabbed his hand, forcing Lance to follow. Keith’s hand was soft and warm, and Lance suddenly felt flustered for a moment. He tried to let go, which resulted only in Keith’s grip tightening even more. 

And so Lance walked with Keith, hand in hand, up the trail and to the castle. The agonizing pain in his legs was still present, but he tried to pretend that it wasn’t there. He could live through it. For Keith.

Lance looked up and saw the stars. Somehow, they looked so much brighter than they had a few minutes ago. He pointed at them, and Keith looked up, up at the stars shining down on the two of them. 

Lance gazed at the night sky in awe. Seeing all these pretty stars glittering in the sky, and the feeling of Keith’s hand wrapped around his own, made it feel like it was impossible that anything bad could happen. So many good things were happening at once, so surely Lance had made the right choice? 

Lance looked over at Keith the same time that Keith looked over at Lance.

Lance smiled, and then one thing led to another and the next thing he knew, Lance was kissing Keith. Or maybe Keith had kissed him, he didn’t know, it was all a blur except for that one moment when their lips were touching.  
When they broke away from each other, Keith’s face was red with embarrassment but he didn’t seem upset, and he stared hard at Lance’s face, waiting for his reaction. Lance felt a grin spreading on his face. It seemed Pidge was right about his feelings after all. Smart people usually are. 

Keith seemed to relax when he realized that Lance wasn’t going to freak out and run away, and he smiled hesitantly. 

“The only bed in the castle is mine, but it’s pretty big. So I hope you don’t mind that you’ll be sleeping with me?”

Lance shook his head, to say that he definitely did not mind. 

And so they walked together hand in hand, two boys with a love that was not unrequited, towards a big castle. A perfect happy fairytale ending. Ah, if only the story ended there. But happy endings are just stories that haven’t finished yet.


	3. lance was here

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All Lance wanted to do was to be a part of both worlds. Now he was a part of none.

When Lance woke the next morning, he was momentarily confused when he pushed himself up only to find himself falling back down instead of being carried up by water.

Then the events of the previous day came rushing back to him. Someone shifted beside him, and Lance turned his head and came face to face with Keith, who was still asleep. 

Lance poked him on the cheek, but he didn’t stir. Lance decided to be nice and let him sleep, and he quietly slid off the bed. He clenched his teeth when the pain he hoped would be gone came back. He sighed. He’d get used to it eventually.

Lance heard a yawn and turned just in time to see Keith sit up. 

“Good morning,” he mumbled. “Is your voice back yet?”

Lance smiled apologetically and shook his head.

There was a knock at the door, and a maid stood there. “Prince Keith, the royal council would like to speak with you.”

Keith frowned. “Huh, I wasn’t expecting this. Oh well. Lance why don’t you go to the beach to swim or whatever it is you do, and I’ll meet up with you afterwards.”

Lance nodded, a little disappointed to be splitting up with him, but they’d have plenty of time to bond later, right?

Lance was completely and utterly wrong.  
-

“I’m getting married.”

Lance stared uncomprehendingly at Keith, who was trying his hardest to avoid direct eye contact.

“It’s an arranged marriage. That’s why the council called me in. I just found out. I had no say in it but it’s to unite our kingdoms.” 

Lance blinked, still not completely understanding. Just last night, everything was going exactly the way Lance wanted it to. Even better. How could all of that just disappear overnight? He didn’t feel anything yet though. He was still hoping that this was all a joke.

“We probably shouldn’t see each other anymore.”

Please let this be a joke. 

“I mean, I don’t want to throw away our relationship. You saved my life after all. We can still be friends of course. Just….nothing more.”

Lance suddenly found it hard to breathe again. For the first time, he was glad that he didn’t have a voice. Because even if he did have it, there would be nothing for him to say. His mind was completely blank. So he did the only thing he could do. He gave his best understanding smile and nodded. 

Keith hugged Lance, and Lance hugged him back though all he wanted to do was cry. He had given up everything for this boy. He really was an idiot.  
Lance wanted to stay in Keith’s arms. Because nothing had changed just yet. The change would come when they broke apart. When they said their goodbyes.  
That was when nothing would ever be the same again.

But break apart they did, and Keith stood up preparing to leave. “They need me to organize some things, so I’ll have to see you tomorrow.” He paused. “You do have a home to return to, right?” he asked.

Lance closed his eyes and let out a small laugh. I gave that all up for you, he thought at Keith, knowing that he wouldn’t hear him.  
Lance simply nodded. Keith left. 

-

Lance tried to sleep on the beach as he had nowhere else to go and nothing else to do. He didn’t really belong on land, but he definitely didn’t belong in the ocean anymore. The ocean was no longer his friend, and if he tried to go home, it would drown him. And the worst part of it was knowing that this was all his fault. No one else to blame but himself.

Unable to sleep, Lance got up and walked towards the water. He had just gotten used to the pain in his legs, but now it was back at full force. Every step he took was like walking into a wall of needles.

He stepped towards the ocean, teeth clenched as he tried to get through the pain. The cold water swept over his feet, and it was like he was walking through ice. Water had never felt so cold to him.

He quickened his pace and then dived into the water, kicking his legs. But all he could do was sink, and he ended up crawling back towards the beach, choking and gasping for air. He didn’t know how to swim.

All he wanted to do was to be a part of both worlds. Now he was a part of none. 

::Pidge, can you hear me:: sent out Lance. ::Anyone? Help?::

He buried his face in his arms as hot tears started streaming down his face. He couldn’t even scream. His voice was gone.  
And so Lance sat silently, alone and cold on the beach. He was drowning in despair and he needed someone to rescue him. 

-

Lance must’ve fallen asleep, because he woke to someone slapping him on the face. His eyes fluttered open and he came face to face with..Pidge!

::Pidge! You’re here!!:: he cried.

Lance had never felt so relieved in his entire life. Pidge gave him a quick and short hug and stared pitifully at him. 

“What happened?”

-

Pidge stayed quiet and listened as Lance told her everything. When story time was over, all she could do was shake her head. 

“I don’t know what you can do. Do you want to come home?”

Lance looked over his shoulder at the castle in the distance. If he stayed, Lance would still be friends with Keith. But he’d have to watch him live his happy life with his new queen. Who in the right mind would take that option, especially when walking was so painful he’d almost rather die? And he had no voice. He couldn’t do anything, and he didn’t even have a place to stay. He didn’t want legs anymore.

::Yes please.::

Lance watched as Pidge returned to the ocean, catching glimpses of the green of her tail underneath the surface. 

He stayed awake, staring at the horizon until the sun was starting to peek out. Then Pidge finally returned. 

“I went to Allura. She gave me this dagger,” told Pidge, holding up the weapon. The sharp, menacing blade glinted in the morning light. “If you want your tail and  
voice back, you have to kill the thing that made you give up your tail in the first place. And I suppose in your case, that would be the prince.” 

::No way:: said Lance instantaneously. That was the one thing he could most definitely not do.

“It’s the only way. If you don’t do it, you’ll never get your tail back.”

Lance groaned and fell backwards onto the sand. Why did life have to be so hard? There was no way he could do this, but there was no way he couldn’t do this. But Keith was his friend! Keith was important to him. But in truth, he only met the guy two days ago. He was just being impulsive.  
Lance would’ve continued arguing back and forth inside his head if Pidge didn’t stop him.

“Are you going to take the dagger or not?” she asked. 

Lance sat back up and stared at the object. Did he really have a choice? Either way, his life was pretty much destroyed. Lance reached for the dagger. 

“Wait. Are you absolutely certain?” asked Pidge. “Once you touch the dagger, it enacts a spell. You have to kill Keith before the next sunrise, or you’ll turn into seafoam. So once you take it, there’s no going back unless you want to die. It’s your life or his.”

Lance closed his eyes. Life just hated him didn’t it. He pictured Keith in his head. Then he remembered their conversation. The pain in his legs. The cold of the night. The loneliness. Lance took the dagger.

-

He waited until nightfall. Then he walked to the castle. Lance smiled at the guards, who let him in, having recognized him from yesterday. Lance walked through the halls, up the stairs, to Keith’s room. He peered in, and found Keith asleep with an expression as peaceful as the one from yesterday. Like nothing had changed. But everything had changed.

Lance’s hands were sweaty as he clutched the dagger. His heart pounded his chest and every fiber of his being was yelling at him to stop and go back. But he didn’t really have a choice did he, unless he planned on dying himself? Lance stepped slowly towards Keith, who slept on, oblivious to everything.

Lance walked to the bedside so he stared down at Keith. Guilt and hesitation gnawed at him. Keith was important. He was the only heir to the throne of the kingdom, and if he died, there would be chaos. It didn’t really matter since Lance didn’t live on land, but he wasn’t that selfish. And his own life was pretty worthless. He didn’t matter at all. His death wouldn’t affect anything.

Even so, Lance didn’t want to die. He fumbled with the dagger and raised it, preparing to stab Keith. But then Keith yawned, as if being awakened by Lance’s newfound bloodlust. 

Lance backed away and hurried to the door. He felt sick. There was no way he could kill Keith when he was awake. He couldn’t bear to see Keith’s horrified expression when he realized that he’d been completely betrayed. 

“Lance?” came Keith’s voice, thick with sleep.

Lance turned and looked at Keith. One glance at that face and he decided. ::Goodbye.:: said Lance, knowing that his words would never be heard.

Then he turned around and ran, feeling every bit of the excruciating pain in his feet. A reminder of the choice he had made. It was hard to believe that two days ago, his life was normal. He swam around, there was nothing to be worried about. Now, he was going to die.

He ran down the stairs, and through the halls, his bare feet pounding loudly against the floor. He ran out the castle, not caring what the guards thought of him. Not caring about anything anymore because soon he would be gone. 

He ran down to the beach, and into the ocean, water splashing around his ankles. He tossed the dagger far out and watched it sink into the depths that were now off limits to him, who could not swim.

He turned and grabbed a stick, carving a last message into the sand. He didn’t know how to write, but he did know his name and a few other words. So he spent the rest of his time carefully carving the letters into the sand. 

Lance was here.

His words would be washed away soon enough, and it would be as if they never existed in the first place. Just like him. But maybe Keith would see it.  
Lance walked back out into the water and took a seat. He scooped up the water with his hands and watched as it escaped, seeping through his fingers.

He continued to do so, until he saw the sun begin to rise. And then he began to die.

\--------------------  
EPILOGUE:

The arranged marriage was called off. But when Keith tried to find Lance again, he was nowhere. The only sign that Lance had ever been there was a message he found scrawled in the sand. ‘Lance was here.’ But even that disappeared.

The boy who was always swimming had stopped swimming. 

Keith spent hours on the beach each day. He shouted Lance’s name out into the ocean, holding onto the hope that Lance would show up again. But he never did. 

“I love you,” whispered Keith sadly, his words carried off and lost in the wind.

He hoped that they would reach Lance, wherever he may be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i cried internally while writing this, especially the ending
> 
> but u know i'm all about that angst bout that angst , no happy endingss
> 
> I tried to compress this chapter a bit more since I made the other ones way too long and i know you fanfic readers aren't here for the story but for some kLANCE ACTION

**Author's Note:**

> writing from a mermaid's perspective is a hECK OF A LOT HARDER THAN I EXPECTED i had to improvise and desperately look for words to describe how they swim like damn
> 
> PLEASE READ CHAPTER 3 IF YOUR HERE FOR THE ANGST also it's the best chapter in my opinion if you don't want to read a lot


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